[loop_m]

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Howdy from Texas, as a new member I am unsure as to the niceties of this forum but sure I'll learn or be taught. I've got a problem with My 1988 GL 1500 "Bonnie Blue"

Got on her the other day and started out w/o any problem started right up warmed up as usual and began the ride. got several miles down the road and I noted that the LCD panel and the instrument lights flashed several times and then I experienced a loss of power and the bike died. Still had headlights and such but not enough juice in the battery to turni it over. got that loverly Tttttttttttttt sound.

After checking all the usual, the connections to the battery, the fuses, etc I could find nothing. After about 30 minutes I tried the starter again and it fired up and I made it back to the house as I reached my drive again I experienced the power down and the bike died again.

I had to make an appointment ( that I had started out on on the bike) so I had to just leave her in the drive. later that day I returned home she fired right up and I took her down the drive to the house. That was yesterday. I plan on trying to work on the old girl tomorrow.

Have any of ya'll experienced the same type of problem or have any idea of what is wrong or how I can diagnose the problem. (E-mail address removed to keep it from spammers.)


Thank Ya kindly,

loop_m

 

[notodd]

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I would think that your alternator is going bad.. But I dont have a 1500, nor does my bike have a alternator. I could be wrong. But Im thinking your battery is going dead while your riding and then when you let it set battery gets little energy back to let it run little longer till it goes dead again. Thats my guess. some guys with a 1500 will be alone to help you..

 

[newday777]

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notodd wrote:

I would think that your alternator is going bad.. But I dont have a 1500, nor does my bike have a alternator. I could be wrong. But Im thinking your battery is going dead while your riding and then when you let it set battery gets little energy back to let it run little longer till it goes dead again. Thats my guess. some guys with a 1500 will be alone to help you..

Yup. Check yer alternator output. Or it could be the battery going bad or a loose connection at the battery. Check the connections, charge the battery and see if it holds a charge. Is water level correct(unless you have an agm/gel battery ) If the alternator isn't putting out at least 13.5 volts at 3,000 rpm,you might need new brushes in it. It can be done by any alternator repair shop if you don't want to.

 

[gumbyred]

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If you have a voltmeter you might notice the bike isn`t charging at start up, then a few miles latter it is charging normally. A sign of sticking brushes. Eventually it will get to the point it doesn`t start charging as you drive.
Tom Bishop
`98 S.E.

 

[jimsjinx]

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If you have done all the connection checks, and the voltage coming from the alternator is not up to par, or jumps around, you need to get the alt. rebuilt. Ken Hemmings is a Goldwing alternator GURU. You send him the alt. with a check, and you'll have it back in about 7 days. The windings are terminated in a cheapo "crimp", that eventually starts to arc, and takes out the regulator diodes. Ken rewinds them with a heavier wire, solders ALL connections, replaces the brushes, new bearings front and rear,new heavy duty regulator diodes, and a new O-ring for mounting. The case is media blasted with a soft media, so it looks like brand new. All for around $200.00, and that includes postage! The output will be increased from around 40 amps stock, to about 50-55 amps. Ken has a site online- Motorcycle Alternator Repair Service(MARS). A good guy, and he stands by his work.Give him a call. Hope you find the gremlin soon, jimsjinx

 

[loop_m]

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Howdy to all,

Thanks for the input and tips. Think I found the culprit! Started out retracing all my previous steps. checked connections, fuses, etc. pulled the battery and checked each cell almost no reading from two cells. Hooked up battery charger direct to goldwing at a jump rate and started the bike w/o battery then pulled the charger off and got a check on the output of the alternator reading a steady 13.4 at 1100 rpm. Believe it is basically a dead celled battery. Putting a new batt on now and will charge and test drive later.

will post further results later.

 

[machinehead]

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Whoa ... loopm , not a good idea to start or check alt. without a bat. installed .
A battery not only provides high current to roll a starter , it also provides as a ballast resistor to protect the alt.
Glad to hear you found a bad battery but be careful when testing .
If your 88 has big miles , an alt. rebuild is advised .
Did my 88 / 130000 miles ., needed bearings and brushes only.

 

[loop_m]

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thanks for the tip was not aware of that will watch that one.Did not get to ride today as I planned. Things came up but will roll down the road tomorrow and hopefully roll back home the same way. we'll see

 

[jimsjinx]

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Glad you found it! The 1500's alternator failures are so common, and the results of a new or rebuilt one is so profound. You got even better news if it's just a dying battery! Good detective work! jimsjinx

 

[loop_m]

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Well Not too sure about the detective work. Still got a problem that is sure seems to be pointing to the Alt. At idle get 13.4 rigged the multimeter with gator clips and took her out for a spin. at speed charging dropped out to 12.2 with some fluctuations to 12.5. definately not enough to keep system charged. when back at home now at idle 12.2 think next step is to go ahead and pull the Alt and have it rebuilt if for nothing else peace of mind. "The Bonnie Blue" is my daily rider/primary means and it always seems that my little trips turn into longer ones to get things done. want her ole dependable self back.

 

[ARKnapp]

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notodd, I am curious, what does your bike have to make that battery happy, from your description you do not have a 1500 and you do not have an alternator. Just being curious :stumped:

 

[notodd]

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well 1100 like yours has a stator witch is same as alternators job.. but is usually not called an alternator, in the motor is usually a stator. this is what we have which is a stator.

 

[notodd]

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this is a 1500 alternator...

 

[ARKnapp]

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Just wondering if you modified your bike. Some rotating devices in AC and DC have different names or somehow we call them some thing different.

In DC the thing that spins around is the armature but generally called the rotor in AC. But there are AC machines that look like DC machines and they become confusing.

The static part or stationary part of an AC or DC rotating device is generally called the stator. It is a fixed device, it can be a permanent magnetic set up or a magnetic device that needs live DC as from a gen set (exciter) or from a battery supply, or rectified AC.

Through time and trial and error, we have come to the alternators that you pictured, both are good but the permanent magnet one has limitations over that of using an excited field. The biggest advantage is in controlling the external excitation and basically shutting off the alternator when not needed.

Those of us with PM alternators have to suffer through their limitations. As a side note these alternators produce true energy but they also produce 2 other energies that battery charging isn't interested in. A 3 phase alternator is most efficient, then a single phase then a DC generator, and the generator for DC is expensive to make compared to the alternator. The commutator is a mechanical rectifier while being a rotating conductor to all the the armature.

These machines are used worldwide from our bikes to machines as big as a small house. My experiences with these devices are from a machine that I can hold in my hand to a machine that was 25 feet tall and that was just 1/2 the machine as the rest was below the floor I was standing on.

Years ago 2 inventors hammered away with their DC and AC machines and AC became the undisputed leader, but we still learn both types and both have their uses. We can thank Tesla for the AC and our gratitude goes to Edison for the many DC things he was involved with.

I spent about 50 years in industry learning and repairing these types of machines and being amazed just how we use this electricity in our daily lives.

Thanks for the subject.

 

[notodd]

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Thanks for the lesson

 

[loop_m]

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All right fellow wingers, Have pulled the Alternator out of 1he 1988 GL 1500. Is there anyone who knows what (if any) generators can be used in place of a HONDA factory model. Of course the face of the alt would have to be changed out with that of the Goldwings but I am sure Hitachi uses this same on some other vehicles. I seem to live in an area that is a geological oddity in that there is not one place in this or the next surrounding counties that rebuilds alternators.

 

[newday777]

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Send it out to the guy above. He had a good reputation here.

 

[loop_m]

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:?would that be notodd? or who

thanks,]

loop_m

 

[newday777]

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Ken Hemmings is a Goldwing alternator GURU. You send him the alt. with a check, and you'll have it back in about 7 days. The windings are terminated in a cheapo "crimp", that eventually starts to arc, and takes out the regulator diodes. Ken rewinds them with a heavier wire, solders ALL connections, replaces the brushes, new bearings front and rear,new heavy duty regulator diodes, and a new O-ring for mounting. The case is media blasted with a soft media, so it looks like brand new. All for around $200.00, and that includes postage! The output will be increased from around 40 amps stock, to about 50-55 amps. Ken has a site online- Motorcycle Alternator Repair Service(MARS). A good guy, and he stands by his work.Give him a call. Hope you find the gremlin soon, jimsjinx[/quote]

 

[SA Wingrider]

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Some people replace the stock alternators with Compu-Fire alternators . They can be bought from Cyclemax.Ohio(http://www.cyclemax.com/)